Le Commandant Charcot first French and LNG ship to reach North Pole

The feat was accomplished at 10:38 a.m. Sept. 6, with Capt. Etienne Garcia at the helm and Capt. Patrick Marchesseau at his side.

Le Commandant Charcot is also the first LNG-powered ship to reach the North Pole.

Ultimate achievement

'I am hugely proud to have been at the helm of the very first French ship to reach the geographic North Pole,' Garcia said. 'It is the ultimate achievement of a collective adventure started by Ponant many years ago. I am very grateful to the crew and all the staff on board that have contributed to making this possible.'